* Largest Donation in College History Supports Business
and Career Technical Education Scholarships *
(Orange, CA) - The Santiago Canyon College (SCC) Foundation recently received a $100,000 bequest from the estate of Arlin and Betty Pirtle. The bequest will augment an endowed scholarship fund that the Pirtles established in memory of their daughter, Beverly Pirtle. This bequest is the largest donation from an individual donor in the foundation’s 19-year history.
"We are incredibly grateful to receive this donation. The gift will transform the accessibility of our BCTE program in that it will give students who are struggling financially the opportunity to continue their education without the constant stress of finances," says Business and Career Technical Education (BCTE) Dean Von Lawson.
Beverly Pirtle was an instructor, program facilitator and Career Education Department Chair for more than 20 years at both SCC and Santa Ana College (SAC). She first came to the Rancho Santiago Community College District as adjunct faculty working out of the then Garden Grove facility in the travel and tourism program. Before that time, Beverly Pirtle worked as a flight attendant for both Trans World Airlines and American Airlines. She continued her career pathway to higher education and began teaching in the flight attendant program at SAC. When the flight attendant program was terminated, she helped to coordinate vocational programs that are now housed under the Business and Career Technical Education (BCTE) program at both SCC and SAC. Former SCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Halverson says, "Bev was tireless in giving to students and staff."
"Bev could make any work fun,” says BCTE administrative secretary and former co-worker of Beverly Pirtle, Amy Styffe. "Her 'get 'er done’ attitude was contagious!" In September 2008, Beverly Pirtle died from complications of cancer.
Arlin Pirtle (1920-1980) and Elizabeth Pirtle (1921-2016) created the scholarship fund in memory of their daughter Beverly Pirtle. Arlin Pirtle was an auto body and welding instructor at SAC from 1949 until his retirement in 1980. He also coached the SAC golf team and led the team to numerous victories. In his last 19 years of coaching golf at Santa Ana College, Arlin Pirtle's teams finished first in the Eastern and South Coast Conferences 16 times and finished second three times He was named South Coast Conference Coach of the Year during the 1976-77 season and was inducted into the SAC Hall of Fame in 2006.
The Arlin and Elizabeth Pirtle Scholarship is awarded annually to students pursing majors within SCC’s BCTE division. To apply, the student must have a GPA of 3.0 or above and must be enrolled in six or more units. Those who wish to apply for this scholarship must be a continuing student or transferring to a four-year institution in the next semester.
BCTE includes programs such as child development, American Sign Language, real estate, public works, and water utility science. Each program offers certificates or associate degrees. Recently, Bestcolleges.com ranked the online real estate program offered by SCC as 5th in the nation. For a complete list of programs, please visit
www.sccollege.edu/BCTE.
For more information about the SCC Foundation or about estate or trust giving options that can transform students’ lives, please contact Karen Bustamante at
Bustamante_karen@sccollege.edu or (714) 628-4888.
About Santiago Canyon College
Santiago Canyon College (SCC) serves about 17,000 students each semester. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions and careers, and provides courses for personal and professional development, as well as customized training for business and industry. The college is recognized for its adult education program which keeps the working adult - and seniors - in mind by offering flexible schedules, and community locations. Serving the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park, SCC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
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